by K. A. Poe
“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Desmond said, staring at me with a wide smile.
“I’m sorry we don’t have much place for you to stay. Well, we could make up the living room if you wanted. We’d normally have an extra room but some of my friends are still staying here right now…before they move to Denver…”
“No, that’s okay. We’ve already made reservations at a little inn down the road, but thank you.”
We entered the kitchen and I offered them drinks. Desmond and Melissa both opted for ice water, which wasn’t surprising. I poured myself a glass of cranberry apple juice and went to sit with them at the dining table after delivering their water.
“So, been anywhere exciting lately?” I asked.
“Well, we were in Romania for a bit, then we took a trip to Antarctica, just got back, actually. It was cold. Too cold. I mean I’m no fool, I knew it would be…but boy, was it a shock. It was worth it though, the sites were incredible.”
“Especially the penguins,” Melissa added with a child-like squeal.
“Sounds like a lot of fun, aside from the cold anyway.”
Salem was about to take the seat beside me when the doorbell rang again. I heard the familiar voice of my grandfather and watched as he stumbled in behind Salem. He looked even frailer than I had remembered, gripping onto his cane with brittle, wrinkled fingers. My stomach churned as I wondered yet again if becoming mortal was the best idea after all. Richard joined the rest of us at the table. Salem introduced him while I retrieved a glass of milk.
“Thank you,” he said as I offered him the glass. “I’m glad to know Alex will have a father figure at her wedding after all.”
“Yes, as am I,” Desmond smiled. “It is very unfortunate what happened to Paul, however. My condolences.”
“It is, and thank you,” Richard said with a sigh and put the glass to his lips and began chugging down the milk as though he hadn’t drank in hours. Perhaps it was his way of ending the conversation on that subject.
“Do either of you have a preference on what we serve at the ceremony?” Salem asked, finally sitting down.
“You don’t already have an order in with a caterer?” Melissa asked. “That should have been taken care of already! You’ll never get what you want in time now!”
“Don’t worry about it, we have it figured out,” I said, trying not to roll my eyes.
“In that case, anything vegetarian would be great, as Mel is strictly no-meat. But, I am up for just about anything.”
Salem nodded. “That shouldn’t be a problem. What about you, Richard?”
He shrugged. “If it’s cooked, I’ll eat it. Don’t be slapping one of those veggie meals on my plate, though.”
I zoned out momentarily as they continued discussing food. Eila was supposed to be getting flowers today – Salem offered to summon them, but she was insistent upon making the purchase. All of the very few invitations had been sent, which went out to Mr. and Mrs. Banner and the Williams’. The day was getting so close now, and yet I felt somehow unprepared. Perhaps it was the fact that my dress wasn’t ready, as far as I was aware. I could only imagine what Salem had in mind.
“Alex? Are you in there?” Richard asked as he prodded me with his cane from across the table.
“Huh?” I blinked and stared at my grandfather. “I’m sorry…I was thinking.”
“I was asking where you are having the wedding at. Yard here’s a little small.”
“In the woods, by the Victorian,” I answered, glancing at the empty chair beside me. “Where did he go, anyway?”
Desmond laughed lightly. “You must have been really deep in thought there. He said he had to make some last minute arrangements for the wedding.”
“Oh, okay…” I mumbled.
“Isn’t this the house your mom moved to after-” he trailed off, perhaps not wanting to bring up painful memories.
“It is. Mom left it to me when she…when she went away.”
“Ah…I thought so. I’m sorry Alex…I didn’t mean to…”
“No. It’s okay, really,” it was only a partial lie.
Richard raised a brow at me, but if he had a question he never said it. He agreed to stay in the living room for the weekend, and while he got settled in, Desmond and Melissa went to check into the inn.
All alone, I sat at the dining room table, wondering what Salem might possibly be up to. The only thing that came to mind was that he was coming up with ideas for my dress. With a light huff, I stood from the table and began clearing the half-empty water glasses and the finished off milk. My juice had become warm and unappealing so I placed it in the fridge for later and made my way upstairs to look for Salem.
The bedroom door to the now half-cleared out master bedroom was shut and the light was on; I could hear his feet shuffling around on the floor. I rapped my fist against the door, which felt a little awkward considering it was my room as well, but I didn’t want to ruin any potential surprises he may have had in store.
“Who is it?” he asked.
“It’s me…” I called back. “Can I come in?”
“I am not quite finished yet. It will only take a few more moments, I promise.”
With a sigh, I leaned against the wall beside the door and waited. What felt like hours were probably more like five or ten minutes before he opened the door and let me in. I glanced around the room and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but he had a very suspicious grin on his face that led me to believe he had been up to something.
“What have you been doing?”
“I told you I was going to ‘design’ your gown, did I not?” he said, the grin never fading.
“Well, where is it?!” I asked, scanning the room again. “Please, please let me see it.”
Salem laughed and pointed to the closet. “Take a look,” he said.
I glanced at him one last time before running over to the closet and pulling the door open. Stepping backward, I looked into the closet with a befuddled expression. There was nothing in there save for a few leftover clothes of Jason’s and Eila’s they hadn’t stuffed in one of the two cars yet.
“It’s empty…” I muttered and looked back at him. My jaw dropped in awe when I saw the garment held in his hands.
The dress was beyond amazing, even better than I could have imagined. The top was a white sleeveless heart shaped bodice embellished with clear beads, followed by a flowing white bottom covered in a layer of glittering pale purple, blue, and green tulle fabric – the colors reminded me so much of my raven feathers that I again began to wonder if I even possessed the ability anymore. If Salem retained his magic, why didn’t I? Instantly the question escaped my mind as I reached out and touched the gown, almost disbelieving it was real.
“It’s gorgeous, Salem…” I said as I tightly embraced him. “It’s way better than anything I could have found online.”
“It will look even better on you tomorrow,” he said with a bright smile. “Along with this,” he said and offered me a sealed package.
“What is it?”
“Open it,” he instructed.
I pried the box open and stared at Salem with my mouth agape as I pulled out a sparkling tiara. “This is so beautiful…”
“You said you wanted to feel like a princess,” he said with another smile.
“Now I will feel more like a queen or something!” I laughed and gently placed the tiara on the edge of the bed and hugged him tightly. “Thank you so much, Salem. This is more than I expected.”
“It was my pleasure,” he replied and kissed me lightly. “I cannot wait to see you in it, walking towards me down the aisle…”
A flutter erupted in my stomach as I imagined it. “Nor can I,” I whispered.
31. ‘TIL DEATH DO US PART
Nervously, I pulled on my dress and marveled at my reflection in the full-length mirror in the bathroom. Eila knocked on the door not five minutes later and I welcomed her in to help zip the dress up and do my hair. S
he propped my hair up in a delicate bun and applied the tiara to my head. I turned in a circle to get the full view and couldn’t help but vainly admire the beautiful young woman I saw twirling before me.
Eila had already dressed in the flowing pale blue chiffon dress with a pleated bodice and white ribbon sash around her waist, Salem had summoned it for her this morning. It was amazing how quickly she had taken to all this unusualness. If she was weirded out by it still, she did not show it. She looked absolutely stunning with her hair curled into bouncing ringlets of honey and brunette, and a white carnation tucked behind her ear.
I slipped my feet into a pair of white high heels and prayed that I could keep my balance in them throughout the entire ceremony. Salem and the rest of the guests were already at the wedding site, setting up and awaiting our arrival. My stomach was a bundle of nerves and I was positive Eila could see it – my hands were fidgety and I kept pacing the room. But what reason did I have to be nervous? I loved Salem with everything that I was, and I was prepared for this day. I had my vows memorized, I was more than capable of waltzing during the first dance, and I wanted this more than anything in the world.
“It’s normal to get cold feet, Alex,” Eila commented as she pulled me to a stop by grabbing my arm mid-pace. “Even when you are positive that this is what you want, it’s normal to panic. Everything is going to be perfect, though. You look amazing, and Salem is waiting for you.”
I nodded slowly as I managed a simple smile. “You’re right. I can do this. There’s nothing to worry about…” I recited this over and over in my head in Eila’s car on the way to where the old Victorian once stood.
I tried to ignore the saddening mess of debris from the old house. When I did catch myself looking it stabbed twice – once for the memory of our beautiful home, and again at the memory of Paul. As crazy as he had acted I would have never wished this on him. He should be here walking me down the aisle instead of Desmond.
All thoughts of the past faded as I became aware that I needed to hold up the base of my dress as I walked the familiar path out through the woods and into the clearing. When I arrived there was a small crowd of people sitting in bench seats at the site of the ceremony. Salem was nowhere to be seen, not wanting to see the bride before the wedding, I assumed. Between the few rows of pews was a long red carpet that trailed through the center of a silver arch with vines wrapped around it and a heart-shaped gem dangling in the center. I scanned the seats to see who all was present: Mitchell sat between his parents in the left front row, and the Williams’ sat on the right pew. Next I spotted Melissa behind the Banners, and Richard sitting idly behind Karen’s parents. To my surprise, in the seat behind my foster father’s girlfriend, Hannah sat staring off into space. She had decided to come after all. Ezra sat beside Hannah, a wide grin on his face as he stared back and waved at me and Eila. When he had shown back up and how he knew where to come was a mystery to me. Just as I was wondering where my Aunt Kim could be I saw her walk by apologizing in a barely audible voice and she made her way over and sat by her father.
At the front of the carpet, between the arch, was a black robe clad old man that I was not acquainted with, but I knew precisely who he was – he was the man who would perform the ceremony and legally bind Salem and I in holy matrimony.
I spotted the banquet tables to the left, covered in platters of food concealed with silver lids. A few feet in front of it was a piano, waiting for Eila. She nodded at me with a confident, reassuring smile and marched over to the piano. I gulped when I saw Jason appear from behind me in a fine black tuxedo with a pale blue delphinium pinned to his white undershirt – he looked absolutely charming. Giving me a wink, he hugged me gently, handed me my bouquet, and pointed toward the archway.
My mouth fell agape when I saw him, and then my lips formed into a wide smile. Salem was now up at the end up the carpet, smiling brightly in my direction. He looked flawlessly handsome in his black tuxedo, the rays of sunshine creeping through the branches above and causing his hair to shimmer as a few strands fell across his brilliant blue eyes.
The music began and Jason slowly walked ahead of me, down the aisle toward Salem. He took his spot beside him and stood stock-still in his place. Next Melissa and Eila got up from their seats and took their places in the front. To my surprise my music teacher, Mr. Collins, from high school cut in and took Eila’s place temporarily at the piano. He had always been my favorite teacher, which Salem knew, and I was sure he was behind this.
Desmond wove his arm in between mine and I nearly jumped in surprise, then slowly relaxed and welcomed the gesture as he guided me down the aisle. We came closer and closer to the archway, and my heart began beating quicker and quicker with each step. My foster father released me, kissed me lightly on the cheek and took his seat where Melissa had been.
The priest instructed us to take each other’s hands and we quickly obliged. I could feel myself shaking and wondered if Salem noticed, but he merely stared at me in awe and admiration as the elder man spoke.
He began with an opening prayer from Corinthians 13:4, and said a blessing and everyone lowered their heads and gave silent prayers before he began with the opening words.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Salem Young and Alexis Waldron in holy matrimony commended to be honorable among all; and therefore is not to be entered into lightly but reverently, passionately, lovingly and solemnly. Into this – these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause for why they may not be joined together – let them speak now or forever hold their peace,” he said in a crisp, clear voice.
Jason shuffled around somewhat, and I wondered if he intended to say something – his cheeks had flushed and he appeared uneasy, then he resumed smiling toward us. I breathed a quick sigh of relief that was hopefully unheard. I then caught eye contact with Hannah, who looked down right annoyed. I knew she was still upset about all this, but I was glad she kept quiet. With no rebuttals, the priest requested our full attention and to repeat after him to say our vows.
“I, Alexis, take you Salem, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward, and throughout eternity,” I repeated after him, hoping with each word that my voice wouldn’t shake.
Salem then repeated the priest’s words, his eyes boring into mine as he spoke, and I could feel myself tearing up.
“Now, present the rings,” the priest instructed and Jason offered over two rings, one to me and one to Salem. “Once again, repeat after me.”
“I, Alexis, give you, Salem, this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you,” I said following the priest, and slid the silver band on Salem’s finger.
Next, he took my hand and repeated the words, and placed my ring on my finger.
The priest turned toward the crowd, and proudly said, “I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Young!”
My friends and family cheered, cried, and applauded as we shared our first kiss as a newly married couple. Music began playing on the piano as Salem and I walked hand in hand down the aisle, then the sound faded into nothingness as we reached the end. There was another round of applause as we turned, faced everyone, and I closed my eyes and tossed my bouquet into the air. To my surprise, it landed directly in Aunt Kim’s lap.
Everyone gave us their blessings, hugs, and gifts that we opted to open at a later time. The guests began feasting on the provided food, and then, it was time for our first dance.
The area had been cleared during the feast, so that the pews were not in the way and the clearing was completely open. Eila played Nevermore beautifully as Salem and I slow-danced to the familiar tune. Slowly, others joined us on the dance floor – Desmond and Mel, Aunt Kim and my grandfather, and surprisingly Ezra and Hannah. Even Jason and Eila joined us after Mitch set up a stereo and some speakers to continue the music.
After what felt like an hour or more of dancing, my legs had begun to feel wobbly and sore and I suggested that we serve the cake. Salem and I both promised each other not to smash the other in the face with cake, and to my surprise and relief we both maintained our promises. The dessert was delicious, even more so than the identical – yet smaller – one that Eila had made for my birthday.
Throughout the rest of the evening, Jason watched us glumly, so I told Salem I was going to have a talk with him.
My best friend sat alone at one of the picnic tables that had been set up for everyone to eat at. Eila was nowhere in sight and I didn’t bother to look for her, either. I sat down quietly and observed Jason with a frown.
“Something’s bothering you,” I said matter-of-factly.
He shrugged and sighed. “Don’t waste your time over here bothering yourself with my problems, it’s your wedding day…go enjoy it.”
“I can’t very well enjoy it with you sitting here sulking.”
He smiled faintly. “You look good, Alex.”
“Thanks,” I replied with a grin. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
He laughed and reached a hand across the table and placed it over mine. “Maybe in some other universe, this would be our day…I feel like such an idiot saying this. I wish I had taken the chance before he came along, but at the same time you two are so happy, and there’s nothing more in the world I could ever ask for.”
I looked down for a moment and then smiled up at him. “I know this isn’t ideal for you, Jason, but no matter what – you are always going to be my best friend, and I will always love you. I can honestly say, though, that had you asked me before any of this…I would have probably said yes.”
“Well, that doesn’t make it any better. Worse…maybe…because sadly that doesn’t matter now.” He frowned. “But thanks, anyway. I shouldn’t even be having this conversation with you, or having these thoughts. I have a girlfriend, and she’s great…yet all I can think about is you.”